I can't believe this didn't get more discussion. This was a great post. All that time and effort put into it by the military. there's gotta be some win in there. I might even check that list to my own.

"Ideas are more dangerous than guns. We don't let our people have guns. Why would we let them have ideas?" Josef Stalin

I think one of them is the actual kit. And the other is the kit sold to be like it. The latter is ridiculously expensive. Mostly because of the box it's in. I think the guy said it was $80 just for the box. I didn't understand what made the box so special. But if you look at the real one. You could easily copy it. I don't recall anything in it that was out of reach. Pretty normal stuff. You can even find those little bottles they but the water purification pills in. I'd like to know why those chose a dark brown glass bottle? I mean there must be some other use for it. That I don't understand. I mean why not plastic so it doesn't break? Or why take up the space? Use a ziplock or something? I guess maybe the glass insures long term storage of the purification tablets. Who knows?

I have a PSK in my INCH bag. A couple actually. Maybe even a few. I know I have one in my chest rig, my fanny pack and my main pack. But I've never put together like an EDC PSK. This is what this is. I'd like to see a piece of paper in it with all the different uses they came up with for each item. Probably a lot of stuff you haven't even thought of. Or even just a whitepaper written on it. That you could study. You know they spent big money on R&D on that thing. It would be very interesting to hear all the things they considered being able to do with each item.

In the end though, I think you could make a better one for your intended purposes and locale. This is really an E&E kit for getting rescued as your goal imho. A better kit might be one geared toward your environment. And with maybe a longer term goal in mind. Of course many have posted tons of examples of these for various scenarios.

Maybe I don't know enough. But it seems like a collection of little tiny things like that. Wouldn't be as good as a simple knife and ferro rod. And maybe the signal mirror. I don't remember everything that's in it. But a lot of the stuff seemed like sewing kit type items. Or boo boo items. I think you'd be WAY better served with a slightly larger kit with fewer items. This is almost a novelty box. Or spy gadget to me. IDK. Like I said, maybe I don't know enough.

EDIT

I just found the quote button. Thank you.

What about a leatherman in it's leather case with a ferro rod, magnifying glass, small compass mounted in one of the handles, wire someplace in there, a signal mirror in behind it in the leather case...? Interesting thought idea. I think you'd be way better served. A leatherman wave or my favorite the Wingman. Cause it has small fullsize scissors.

"Ideas are more dangerous than guns. We don't let our people have guns. Why would we let them have ideas?" Josef Stalin

One thing that's always struck me about these various survival kits (USN certified or otherwise) is how many do not come packed in a food grade metal container that can be used to cook food or at least boil water.

For kits that come in some sort of soft plastic or fabric pouch, it's going to take up a discrete amount of volume anyways. Why not pack it in a metal container of similar volume? Whatever incremental loss in packability seems like it would be greatly offset by the utility of a cooking vessel.

Rigid plastic cases make even less sense: the case is a single use item with all the disadvantages that come with of a rigid container, but none of the advantages of metal.

And metal containers with velcro panels, O-rings or plastic rollers on wire locking bails make the least sense to me of all. You're 95% of the way to a cooking vessel, but it's ruined with components that can't handle heat.

If it's waterproofness or secure closure that are issues, those concerns could be addressed by a HD plastic pouch inside the metal container, and ranger bands around the outside.

I agree with you Havoc. Good points. That said, I'd like to find a box like that (large) because of its durability (crush limits) and weight, but it is for something else altogether. Smaller units with different funding concerns and oversight can often go after specific gear they want without the rigmarole of the unwieldy acquisition process. The value of this to this site might come from being able to examine the list of contents so one might get ideas of how/what for their own. Certainly it can be done cheaper. We taught E&E kits as that one minimal thing to grab, or have on you, before you make a break for it. Again, I like the box. Maybe I'll see one at a yard sale or flea market.

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
Henry David Thoreau

I think one of them is the actual kit. And the other is the kit sold to be like it. The latter is ridiculously expensive. Mostly because of the box it's in. I think the guy said it was $80 just for the box. I didn't understand what made the box so special.

Not defending them: What they said about the box...

"Designed for the minimalist, the ultra-lightweight enclosures are machined out of billet 6061 aluminum, which makes them four times lighter than stainless steel and half the weight of titanium."